Roll up, roll up – it’s time for BBC Sport’s first end-of-season football awards.
Voted for by our expert pundits, dedicated team of journalists, and specialist football programme makers, these awards celebrate the players who starred in the Premier League, Women’s Super League, Scottish Premiership and EFL in 2025-26.
Those voting include Chris Sutton, Danny Murphy, Dion Dublin, Glenn Murray, Pat Nevin, Nedum Onuoha, Shay Given, Theo Walcott, Ellen White and Fara Williams.
From the players who propelled their teams to glory, to those whose quality stood out in less successful surroundings, these are the men and women whose contributions on the pitch this season deserve to be recognised.
Premier League player of the season
It was tightly contested, but the man who powered Arsenal’s midfield to their first Premier League title since 2004 clinched our prize.
Declan Rice led the way for the Gunners, with his set-piece expertise contributing to so many goals and his leadership skills helping his team finally get over the line, after three successive second-placed finishes.
Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes – who set a new single-season assists record – narrowly missed out in second, while Brentford’s 22-goal striker Igor Thiago came third.
Premier League breakthrough player of the season
Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly made a huge leap this season, delivering consistently high-quality performances in which his ability to attack the box from full-back became a potent weapon for club and country.
Eli Junior Kroupi’s impressive scoring form for Bournemouth earned him second place, while Max Dowman’s contribution to Arsenal’s title run was rewarded with third.
Premier League manager of the season
There were plenty of votes for Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola, Brentford’s Keith Andrews and Sunderland’s Regis Le Bris – but who could really take the crown other than the man who finally ended Arsenal’s 22-year wait for the title?
Mikel Arteta had the Gunners top of the table from October until the very end, and has led them to the Champions League final against Paris St-Germain on Saturday.
Premier League goal of the season
When Fulham’s Harrison Reed lined up a shot from 25 yards in the dying seconds with his team losing 2-1 to Liverpool, few in the Craven Cottage crowd expected the ball to end up in the back of the net.
But his stunning effort swerved ferociously and crashed into the top corner past Alisson’s full-stretch dive.
Reed’s stunning equaliser clinched him top prize, ahead of team-mate Harry Wilson’s outside-of-the-boot stab against Crystal Palace, and Rayan Cherki’s mazy run and finish for Manchester City against Arsenal.
Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai was perhaps hampered by the fact his two spectacular free-kicks against Arsenal and Manchester City split votes for him down the middle.
Other Premier League awards
Signing of the season: Granit Xhaka’s £17m move to Sunderland from Bayer Leverkusen
Shock of the season: Tottenham’s relegation battle
Most predictable sacking: Ange Postecoglou at Nottingham Forest
Worst widely held prediction: Liverpool to retain the title
Premier League team of the season
Women’s Super League player of the season
With more than 80% of the vote, Khadija Shaw was the runaway winner for this award, having scored 21 goals in 22 matches as Manchester City secured the Women’s Super League title for the first time in a decade.
The Jamaica striker also managed four assists in one of the all-time great WSL seasons – and has just renewed her contract with the champions.
Women’s Super League manager of the season
Having broken Chelsea’s stranglehold on the WSL title, Manchester City boss Andree Jeglertz earned every vote except one for the manager of the year award.
His side led the way for so long, and could complete a double if they beat Brighton in the Women’s FA Cup final this weekend.
Women’s Super League team of the season
Scottish Premiership player of the season
Claudio Braga helped fire Hearts’ title charge, with the tenacious Portuguese forward scoring 14 goals and providing three assists as his side fell just short on the final day.
Motherwell winger Elijah Just was in second, while Braga’s Hearts team-mate Lawrence Shankland – who is moving to Rangers – came third.
Scottish Premiership manager of the season
This one was hotly contested, but Hearts boss Derek McInnes won by a single vote ahead of Motherwell’s Jens Berthel Askou.
Like Braga, McInnes will be left to rue Hearts’ defeat by champions Celtic on the last day, which meant the wait for a non-Old Firm manager to win the Scottish title has stretched to 41 years.
Berthel Askou guided Motherwell to an impressive fourth-placed finish and guaranteed European football, although the Dane has left to become head coach of Toulouse.
Martin O’Neill led Celtic to their fifth straight title – and lifted the spirits of a struggling club after the exits of Brendan Rodgers and Wilfried Nancy – but only came third for our award.
Other Scottish Premiership awards
- Goal of the season: Youssef Chermiti’s overhead kick for Rangers vs Celtic
- Breakthrough player of the season: Joint winners – Falkirk’s Barney Stewart and Findlay Curtis of Kilmarnock
Scottish Premiership team of the season
Championship player of the season
From the base of Middlesbrough’s midfield, Hayden Hackney demonstrated a range of passing, athleticism, and tendency to make a difference in key moments that stood out in the division.
Perhaps Boro would be Premier League bound had he been fit to start the play-off final against Hull.
Coventry’s Matt Grimes was narrowly behind in second.
Championship manager of the season
Frank Lampard and Alex Neil couldn’t be separated and share this award.
Coventry’s title win under Lampard was emphatic, ending the Sky Blues’ 25-year wait to return to the top flight.
Neil’s Millwall were in promotion contention all season, but narrowly missed out after finishing third in the league and losing to Hull in the play-off semi-finals.
Championship team of the season
League One player of the season
Scoring 23 goals in League One is no mean feat, never mind when you’re playing up top alone for one of the division’s strugglers.
But Leyton Orient centre-forward Dom Ballard managed just that, helping keep his side in the division with big goals in crucial games.
Lincoln’s Jack Moylan and Plymouth’s Laurent Tolaj were the only other players to receive votes.
League One manager of the season
One of only two clean sweeps in the entire collection of awards, nobody could have challenged Michael Skubala for League One’s best boss.
The Lincoln manager led a side few saw as serious promotion challengers to the title, winning the league comfortably ahead of clubs with far bigger budgets.
League Two player of the season
In a tight category, Aaron Drinan’s 22 goals made him the winner, despite his club Swindon falling short in their quest to reach the play-offs.
Cambridge United defender Kelland Watts was second, while Omar Sowumni of champions Bromley came third.
League Two manager of the season
Back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One made Andy Woodman the emphatic winner here, five years into a highly-successful stint in charge of Bromley.
No other boss in League Two received a vote from our experts.